Fight the Future
by CaliAsh
Summary: When a visitor arrives under curious curcumstances, could she hold a key to the future of the SGC
1. The Visitor

Title – Fight the Future

Author – Cali/Ash

Disclaimer – I don't own any of the Stargate cast but I do own all the rights to a certain Lieutenant ;)

            General Hammond raised a hand to scratch his head in wonder.  All teams, save for SG11 who weren't due back for another six hours, were on Earth, of that he was certain.  The Tok'ra weren't expected but they did have a habit of just turning up.  Whatever the reason, the Stargate was spinning and he wasn't in control of it's movements.

            The seventh chevron encoded and the 'gate fell still but the event horizon didn't jump forward in the usual blue rush.  Instead something amazing happened and General Hammond had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't just delirious in his exhaustion.  

            The Stargate began spinning anti-clockwise at an increasing rate creating smoke as it rubbed against it's supports.  A crackling like static electricity broke into the silence of the gate room and, just as suddenly as it had started, the 'gate stopped.

            General Hammond exchanged a look with the technician seated next to him.  The technician's wide-eyed wonder assured Hammond that he was not seeing things, but he could only bask in the knowledge for a matter of seconds before his eyes were drawn to the 'gate once again.

            The event horizon shot forward in a blaze of green and settled back into the characteristic water-like wall.  But instead of being calming and serene, it seemed to radiate a lurid green stirring nausea in the security personnel that surrounded it.

            Tearing his eyes from the liquid lime, General Hammond looked intently at the fluctuating readings on the computer screen though he could make neither head nor tails of it; it may as well have been a game of tic-tac-toe.

            'Do we have a signal?' he asked the technician who seemed to have a firmer grasp of the technology than he did.

            'Yes, sir'  He furrowed his brow and reread the screen, double-checking something that bothered him.  'This can't be right.'  He turned to face the General, looking up at him with confusion etched into his features.  'Sir, its SG1.'

            General Hammond frowned.  He knew for a fact that SG1 were on Earth.  Only an hour ago he had had a brief and, frankly, confusing talk with Colonel O'Neill.  If they had gone off-world he would have noticed or at least been notified.  The technician was right; it didn't make sense.  But then neither did the 'gate's behaviour.  He had never known it to spin anti-clockwise and the speed had been phenomenal, close to a hundred miles per hour he estimated.  Then there was the colour; what had happened to the cerulean?

            He was now faced with a dilemma; should he close the iris or not?  On the one hand the off-world activation was unexpected and procedure called for him to order the iris shut.  But, on the other, an SGC signal indicated someone or something friendly and closing the iris would extinguish it.

            However before he could make a conscious decision, the sickly green surface rippled and a petite figure all but fell through.  Bathed in the green light it looked almost inhuman but, as far as General Hammond could see, it had two arms, two legs, and a head, then again so did the Goa'uld.

            The security personnel immediately raised their weapons and took aim, carefully following the figure's movements, but waited for the order to fire.  An order that never came.  To General Hammond the unexpected visitor looked as harmless as a puppy, it wasn't even carrying a gun.

            In a second the green dissolved revealing the blank, reinforced concrete wall that stood behind the Stargate.  Looking somewhat more human, the figure stumbled forward a few steps before regaining a shaky balance.

            Looking more closely, General Hammond saw that the frail form was shaking but he was unable to see the expression on it's face because it was shielded from view by a peaked cap that was not unlike those worn by SGC members.  He watched curiously as the figure lent forward with hands on it's knees and an incredulous gasp escaped it.

            It breathed deeply several times and then retched, spewing the meagre contents of it's stomach over the surface of the ramp.  It spat a couple of times; trying to rid it's mouth of the foul-tasting bile.  Standing straight again but still wobbling on it's unsure footing, the figure looked around taking in it's surroundings for the first time.

            'I'm back!'

            The joy was easy to read in it's tone but the voice was weak, clearly the figure was short on energy.  Just as the thought crossed his mind, General Hammond saw the figure throw it's arms out trying to retain it's balance.  But it's efforts were in vain; it collapsed backwards and remained flat on the ramp, not moving an inch.

            All eyes watched warily for several seconds, then the highest ranking security guard turned and looked up at the control room where General Hammond was standing,  His gaze held the same question that Hammond was asking himself; what should he do?  

            There was only one thing he could do and he did it.

            'Doctor Fraiser to the gate room … and hurry.'


	2. Trinity

Sorry this has taken so long to come out but my coursework has been calling to me.

            'Who is she?'

            'I'm not sure, Major, but it appears she is a member of the SGC, a member of SG1 to be exact.'

            'It doesn't make sense; I've never laid eyes on her before.'

            General Hammond nodded gravely.  He prided himself on knowing all those under his command and he too had no idea who their mysterious guest was, though he had to admit that she looked familiar.

            'What are we going to do with her?'

            Doctor Fraiser, who had been listening close by, volunteered an answer.  'We look after her.  At the moment she's ill and I'll tend to her until she's better, she may have some valuable information.'

            Major Carter nodded.  'Janet's right.  She needs medical attention so we should save the questions until she regains consciousness.'

            'I am with Major Carter.' Teal'c announced.

            'So that's settled.'  General Hammond turned to Dr Fraiser and opened his mouth to speak but the infirmary door opening interrupted him.

            'Hey guys,'  Colonel O'Neill strode into the room and approached the group.  'What d'I miss?'

            'Colonel, I called for you ten minutes ago, where have you been?'  Hammond's tone was stern but he wasn't really angry more curious; Jack was usually so punctual.

            Jack cleared his throat. 'Nature called.  So I hear our visitor made quite an entrance.'  He looked around at the startled stares he was getting.  'Hey, you hear just as much gossip in the gents as you do in the ladies.'

            Sam shook her head in mild amusement.  'She did make an impression but the 'Gate put on the biggest show; it rotated anti-clockwise and the event horizon shone green instead of blue.'

            'Really?'  Jack mulled it over. 'I heard that there were dancing bears and little flying martians throwing confetti.'

            Sam smiled. 'Sir, which toilet did you visit?'

            'Why Carter, what are you accusing me of?'  Jack was in a playful mood and, had they been alone, he would have batted her on the arm.

            'Okay, break it up, children.' Hammond didn't appriciate the childishness of his two best officers, especially in the seriousness of the situation.

            Jack let his eyes linger on Sam a little longer than necisary and she bridled slightly.  He caught himself and switched his gaze to the sleeping figure on the bed.  It was hard to believe that that innocent looking creature had caused such a stir in the complex.

            He walked over to the bed and looked down at the unconscious woman.  There was something familiar about the stubborn frown that decked her face and he just couldn't ignore it.

            'Do I know her?'

            'There does seem to be something familiar about her, Colonel, but I don't believe we have met her before.'  Hammond felt better for knowing that he was not the only one who got déjà vu from just looking at her.

            Shrugging, Jack gave in to the sudden urge and reached out to brush a lock of short brown hair off the young woman's forehead.  He couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips as she stirred under his touch.

            A small moan shattered the silence that had decended on the room and the figure's eyes flickered open revealing a deep brown that was almost black.  They focused on the figure above her and smiled.

            'Colonel O'Neill.' She croaked, sitting up and taking the glass of water that Dr Fraiser offered.  'Thanks, Janet.' She said and took a sip before handing the glass back to the open-mouthed doctor.

            Jack looked back at his team and General Hammond wondering if they too saw the strangeness of the situation.  Gaining nothing from the blank face of Teal'c, he turned to Sam.  She definitely looked confused and shocked but there was something more underlying in her eyes that he couldn't read and it troubled him.

            The young woman noticed the others standing at the foot of the bed and a spark of recognition brightened her eyes.

            'Major Carter, Teal'c, Jonas, General Hammond.' A note of excitement quivered in her voice.

            'Okay, now you've introduced us, can I ask; who are you?'

            'Woops, did I forget to say?' she smirked and kicked off the bad sheet.  Hopping off the bed, she turned to salute Jack, who had returned to Sam's side.  'Lieutenant Trinity Turner, sir.  Triple A to my friends.'

            'Triple A?'

            Trinity smiled meekly.  'My nickname; Access All Areas.'

            'Right, that explains it.'  Jack shrugged at Sam indicating it had done anything but.

            Sam stepped forward and received a wide smile from Trinity.  'Are you feeling alright?'

            'I'm fine.  I felt terrible earlier but that's TTS for you, its just something you can't get used to, no matter how many times you take the leap.'

            'Excuse me?  TTS?  The leap?'

            'Sorry, sir, I keep forgetting.  TTS is Time Travel Syndrome and the leap is what we call the journey through time.  Y'know, Quantum Leap.'

            'Now why doesn't that surprise me?'

            Jack's question was rhetorical but Trinity answered it anyway, 'Because your line of work leads you to expect the unexpected.  You taught me that.'

            'I did?'

            'Yeah, when I was four.'

            Jack studied the young woman carefully, unable to shake the disturbing sense of familiarity.  'Do I know you?'

            'Ofcourse, I'm- Oh no! What am I doing?  Theres no time!'  Trinity scooped her cap off the bed and secured it on her head in one deft movement.  'We have to get moving.'

            'Wait a moment.  Where are you going?'

            'I have to get back.'  Her eyes found her digital watch which seemed to be counting backwards.  'I've only got an hour left.'

            'What happens in an hour?'

            'If I don't get back to the future within the next hour someone will be sent back in time to stop me ever coming.'  She appeared suddenly agitated and couldn't help fiddling with her watch strap.

            'Why did you come?'

            'Didn't I tell you already?  Damn, why am I so forgetful?  Ofcourse, TTS!'

            Jack looked warily at Trinity and turned to Sam conveying his concern for the lieutenant's mental health in his expression.  Sam smiled softly, mildly amused by the look on her CO's face.

            Trinity gathered her thoughts and ran a hand through her short hair.  'In my time, your future, we've got a bit of a crisis.  I'm afraid I can't go into much detail.  Major, you understand, don't you?'

            Sam nodded.  'Anything we do now could affect our future.  Isn't your coming here a bit of a gamble?'

            'Yes but we didn't have another option; we had to take the risk.  General O'Neill and Colonel Carter have been captured by the Sha'ra-'

            'The what/'

            'Hold on,' Jack cut in 'I'm General?'

            'Yes' Trinity said hurriedly 'But not for a while yet.  The Sha'ra are a renegade group of Tok'ra, they want the 'Gate on Earth destroyed and they believe they will achieve this by taking you hostage.'

            'Why us?  Why not General Hammond?'

            'General Hammond retired shortly before I was six but I can't say why they took you in particular.'

            'So why do you need us?'

            'We needed someone who was resourceful and well trained, something which is in short supply in my time.  We've already lost two teams and most of our best men trying to rescue you, so we turned to time travel.'

            'Couldn't you have gone back to stop us from being captured in the first place?'

            Trinity shook her head feverently.  'That would mean dramatically altering the future and we try to avoid that at all costs.  Besides we can only use time travel to further our knowledge not change things to how we want them to be, it doesn't work like that.'

            'Why come here, to this particular point in time?'

            'It had to be before I was born, which is next year.  But it also had to be as close as possible to the approaching pivotal point in your lives.'

            'Pivotal point?'

            'I can't say.  Please, you have got to come with me; the future is depending on you.'

            'Right.' Jack said, trying to gather the facts in his head.  'You want us to go with you, to the future, to save ourselves?'

            'Yes.'


	3. The Leap

            Sorry this has taken me so long to do but I couldn't exactly ignore my schoolwork now, could I?

            'I can't believe I'm doing this.'

            'I can't believe I'm General.'

            Sam looked at Jack disapprovingly.  'Sir, by doing this we could change things irreversibly.'

            'How d'you work that out, Carter?'

            'What we learn by visiting the future could influence the decisions we make in our future.  In Lieutenant Turner's time we'll already have made the decision and if we don't like the outcome we could just change our minds on what we decide when it comes to our turn to make the decision.'

            'Don't confuse me, Carter.' Jack held a hand to his head.  'Do you have a pen and paper?'

            'Why?'

            'So I can make a note to myself never to ask you 'how' again.'

            Sam looked as if she was about to retort when the Stargate leapt into action.  Up in the control room there was a flurry of movement as the technicians scurried to their computers and began comparing data.  General Hammond's face appeared at the blast window and he shouted an order to the nearest technician.

            'Wait!' Trinity cried, waving her hands to attract the General's attention.  'Don't close the iris!'

            'Why not, Lieutenant?'

            Trinity felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Major Carter.  'They're opening a way home.' she said and pointed to the Stargate as it began spinning anti-clockwise, gaining speed.

            All eyes were drawn to the Stargate as it became a blur and screeched from the friction burning into it.  Again the static crackle flashed through the air and grew louder.  Then there was silence and the movement came to a dead halt.

            'What the-'

            Jack's exclamation was lost in the rush of green light as the event horizon surged forward and relaxed back into the vertical pool.

            A wave of nausea swept through the 'gate room and SG1 had to fight to hold back the impulse to vomit, even Teal'c was affected.  Jack took a deep breath to calm his stomach and turned to Trinity.  The young woman smiled back at him, recognising the face he was pulling.

            'Home.' she said over the hum of the 'gate.

            'What?' Jack was at a loss.

            'This is why you only had an hour.'  A look of understanding passed across Sam's face. 'If you missed this …'

            Trinity nodded happily.  'We couldn't risk you learning how to time travel, so I was given a deadline and at that specified time they would open a gateway back.  Now, we should move quickly 'cause these gateways are unpredictable, they can cut out at any time.'

            She made to step forward but Jack held her back.  'Err, Lieutenant, what exactly does TTS feel like?'

            Trinity looked back into the eyes of the man she had known all her life, reading him easily.  His face was anxious and his tone hesitant, but she knew he would never back out of an adventure, no matter what the danger.

            'Like riding a roller coaster,' she saw him relax and her smile widened 'upside down, through a hurricane, after you've eaten a whole chocolate cake.'  She turned away quickly to hide her laughter and walked steadily up the ramp.

            Jack looked at his team and they exchanged uncertain glances before following the woman they had only met an hour ago into the great, green, unknown.

            Jack felt his feet hit a hard surface with a jolt that shook his whole body and made his stomach lurch.  Ahead of him Lieutenant Turner was making her unsteady way down a metal-mesh ramp.  He took a few shaky steps after her but was forced to stop as the arrival of his team shook the ramp and made him feel queasy. 

            A clatter of footfalls announced the arrival of a five-strong group of men.  They stopped at the base of the ramp and a blonde-haired man stepped forward.  His face was a mixture of awe, wariness and shock.

            'Lieutenant O'Neill.  General.  Colonel'

            'Yeah, one of them.'  Jack said aware of the haze enveloping his mind.  'Hold on …' 

            He turned to Trinity and pointed accusingly.  He saw her attempt to smile but the force of the nausea was too great and she had to turn away to relieve it.

            Then, as the facts merged and began to settle in, Jack felt his stomach convulse and he retched.  But he wasn't the only one, his whole team followed suite and the blonde man averted his eyes, his face now full of disgust.

            Jack moaned.  'Shouldn't have had that cake.' he muttered before collapsing next to his daughter on the floor.


	4. The Future

            Response to reviews:

                                                Thanx for all your reviews, it's nice to get some constructive critisism once in a while, kinda helps you further your work.

            Anyway in response to the questions;

· There is a description of Trinity in this chapter, ok I admit it's a bit brief, but I think it suffices

· Don't worry about the future being messed up by them discovering a few things.  It'll all be explained at the end, I promise

Any other queries don't hesitate to ask, I'm always happy to help.  Enjoy the story.

            Sam groaned at the effort it took for her to open her eyes.  She could still feel the hydrochloric acid burning at the back of her throat and her left arm was radiating a dull ache from where it had hit the floor when she had fainted.

            It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the light in the room, but when they did she relaxed slightly.  The fact that it may all have been a dream came to mind.  However that did not explain why she felt the stir of nausea in her stomach, neither did it tell her why she was lying in a bed in the infirmary.

            She forced herself up into a sitting position and looked around.  The bed to her right was empty but it had been occupied not long before, as the sheets were strewn at the foot of it.  On her far right she saw Colonel O'Neill.  He was breathing heavily and she watched him in his unnatural sleep for a minute or so before realising what she was doing and turning away.

            To her left were two more beds, each holding one of her teammates.

            The infirmary door swung open and Sam turned to it to see two figures step through.  Any remaining thoughts that it may have been a dream where instantly banished.

            'How are you feeling, Major?'  Trinity asked as she approached Sam's bedside.

            'Like I've just ridden a roller coaster.  Are the others alright?'

            'They're fine,' Dr. Fraiser said as she checked Sam's vitals 'They just need to sleep off the side effects.'  She smiled at her friend who looked so young and full of life.

            Sam couldn't believe how much Janet had changed; her hair was flecked with grey and she moved with an awkward clumsiness and none of the graceful ease she had had last time Sam had seen her.  But this was the future and that had been many years ago.

            'What year is it?'  Sam asked, accepting the glass of water that Janet offered her.

            '2024'

            The shock caught in Sam's chest and she choked on the water.  'Twenty-one years!' she spluttered 'So you're-'

            'Twenty next week.' Trinity confirmed.

            Sam studied Trinity, seeing her clearly for the first time.  She stood about 5' 8" tall, her face was pale, no doubt from the double ordeal she had just been through, and her deep brown hair was cut short and styled much like Sam's own.  But it was her eyes that struck Sam for they were Jack's; that same black brown that was so dark that it threatened to consume the pupil.

            'Why did you tell us your name was Turner?'

            Trinity frowned.  'I wasn't allowed to tell you my real name, you were supposed to find out for yourselves or go on not knowing.  I could kill Major Pierce; he knew as well as I did that at that moment I was Lieutenant Turner, not O'Neill.'

            'What are you going to say to the Colonel when he wakes up?'

            'Nothing, he'll just have to get used to it … again.' she hesitated 'This is weird.'

            'Why?'

            'When I was young, we used to go everywhere together and he would be so protective, y'know because of Charlie.  But now he doesn't even know me and he's only just discovered that I'm his daughter, I don't know how he's going to take it.'

            'Colonel O'Neill loves children.  I'm sure he'd be proud to have you as a daughter, although how he let you join the Stargate Program I'll never know.'

            'Ah well, I was a very, shall we say, inquisitive child.  As soon as I found out about it there was no holding me back.  He was dead set against it at first but he gave in eventually.  I think I really upset him the first time I walked in holding a gun.'

            Sam nodded.  She could only imagine how her CO must have felt seeing his daughter carrying a gun after his son had died because of one.

            'Anyway' Trinity continued 'I'm not here to talk about myself.  We really have to get moving on the rescue operation.'

            'We?  You're coming?'

            'Of course.  You and Dad are in trouble and I'm going to help.'  Trinity said defiantly 'Besides you need me.'

            'Why?'

            'Because-'

            A low moan cut Trinity off and the two women turned to see Jack roll over as he fought to surface from the deep sleep.  Unfortunately the infirmary bed was narrow and he rolled right off it and landed on the floor with a thud.

            Trinity burst out laughing, her laughter was neither cruel nor mocking but rather like that of a child entertained by foolish antics.  A sudden rush of concern hit Sam and she jumped off her bed.  She walked cautiously over to the bed he had disappeared behind.

            When she wasn't far away, Jack sprung back up making her jump and clutch at her heart.

            'I'm okay, I'm okay.'  He assured no one in particular.  'Are you alright, Carter?'

            'Sir!'  She cried exasperatedly making him grin.  'Don't do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack.'

            'Best place to have one.'  He said gesturing around the room.  His eyes fell on Trinity and they watched each other for a while, then he frowned.  'So I have a daughter.'

            Trinity nodded and Sam marvelled at how she could have missed the likeness of Jack in her.

            'Do you have a mother?'  Jack asked, trying not to sound as interested as he really was.

            'Yes,' Trinity answered playfully 'But I'm not telling you who.'

            'Damn it!'

            Trinity laughed and even Sam had to smile at Jack's exaggerated disappointment.

            'But anyway,' Trinity said composing herself when she noticed that Teal'c and Jonas were rousing also. 'I've been sent to brief you on the situation-'

            'Hold on,' Jack cut in 'If me and Carter are being held captive and General Hammond retired years ago, who's running this show?'

            A superior smile flashed across Trinity's lips.  'An old friend of yours; Daniel Jackson.'

            'Daniel!' Jack and Sam exclaimed together.

            'Yes,' Trinity beamed, but then straightened her face after receiving a look from Janet.  'But that's beside the point.  Now you're being held in an underground facility on the planet designated as P3X-666.  The Sha'ra are well trained but they don't really have much between the ears …'


	5. Mirav

Sorry this has taken so long to upload, again, I guess I just don't have as much time as I think.  Yes, right now I'm 'revising'.  Anyway I thought I'd give you two in one as you've been waiting so long.

Chapter 5

            'Good ol' blue' Colonel O'Neill said to himself as he and his team spilled out onto the lush grass of the alien world.

            He took a deep breath, breathing in the cool refreshing air which was a welcome change to the stuffy air of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.  Sam too, he noticed, appeared to be enjoying it as she closed her eyes, content to let the gentle breeze play across her face.

            Smiling to himself, Jack said, 'For the devil's planet, it sure is nice.'

            'Appearances can be deceiving.'

            Jack turned to face Trinity.  He still wasn't sure that he liked the idea of his daughter accompanying them.  He amazed himself at how much concern he felt for the woman's safety, even though she had only been his daughter for five hours.  And who was her mother?  Could it be that-?

            'Sir!  In those trees.'  Sam pointed out a small thicket of deciduous trees in the middle distance.

            Squinting slightly, Jack could just make out a silhouette of a figure within the trees.  He watched, hand on his gun, as it stepped out of the shadowy depths, raised it's hand and flashed them a peace sign.

            'Great' Jack muttered 'That's all we need, a hippy.'

            'It's okay.' Trinity said, waving the Glock she had removed from her thigh holster and making Jack flinch.  'That's Mirav, he's- hey!'

            'Stop waving that around.' Jack snapped, snatching the handgun from her.

            'I know what I'm doing.' Trinity made to grab her gun back but he held it out of her reach.  She stopped and put her hands on her hips, frowning.  'I _am trained in unarmed combat as well as the handling of weapons, y'know.'_

            'Oh yeah?  Who taught you?'

            'The Air Force, you, Teal'c … Come on, Dad, I can pilot a Goa'uld Mother Ship, for crying out loud what can I do with a Glock?'

            Jack hesitated, and then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

            'Would you prefer her to be unarmed, Sir?'

            'I would prefer her not to be here at all.'  But he was forced to admit that he would worry less if she had something to protect herself with.  Reluctantly he handed over the handgun, muttering, 'You can't be too careful.'

            'Trinity!'

            All eyes quickly shifted to see a young man jogging towards their little group.  He appeared to be wounded and short of breath.  His short black hair hung damp in his own sweat and his clear blue eyes shone with exhaustion.

            'Mirav!' Trinity cried and towards him 'You're hurt!'

            'I will live.'

            'Oh, you look terrible, what happened?'

            Jack glanced over at Sam, who returned his look.  Was it his imagination, or had he heard _that note in Trinity's voice?  The note he often used when talking to Sam._

            'He's Tok'ra.' Sam commented

            'Yes.  He was spying for us, helped us get the plans.'  Trinity said fondly.  'What happened, Mirav?'

            'They knew.' He said breathlessly 'I don't know how, I was careful …'

            'I know, but you're hurt.'

            'It is only, what do you say?  A flesh wound?'

            'You should get to Janet.'

            'No wait, Trinity.'  He steadied himself on her shoulder and faced Jack.  'They moved you, I don't know where.  They took me into a room and said they had moved the prisoners but they wouldn't tell me where.  I kept asking and they shot me.  I had to get out, I had no time to see, they were following me.'

            'It's okay.' Trinity said soothingly, looking at Jack and giving her a 'back me up here' look.

            'Don't sweat it, Mirav.' He said, trying to sound approving.  'I'm sure you did your best.  But you should be seen by Doc Fraiser.  Trinity go with him.'

            'No'

            'What?'

            Trinity looked at him defiantly.  'I'm essential on this mission.  I know the layout of the complex by heart; you would be lost without me.'

            'But – ow!'

            Sam stopped Jack with a sharp tap on his upper arm.  'Jonas, take Mirav back to Earth.'

Jonas looked at Jack, who frowned and received a small nudge from Sam before reluctantly nodding.

Trinity watched uneasily as Jonas helped Mirav walk to the Stargate and open a wormhole back to Earth.  Her concern didn't go unnoticed and Sam placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

She managed a small smile.  'I haven't been entirely honest with you, about the Sha'ra.'

'Oh?'

'Not here, we're too open.  We should get under the cover of those trees, and then I'll tell you whatever you want to know.'

General O'Neill spat out the blood that surged into his mouth and glared at the man standing in front of him.

'Oh Jack, don't look so wounded.'

Jack remained silent.  His mind wasn't on the man's words neither was it on the pain and exhaustion that wracked his body.  He was concentrating all the energy he had left on hating him, that man that he had once been so close to, had trusted, had worked with.

'Speak and you can have peace.'

Now that man was his mortal enemy, a new Apophis.  How?  Why?  What had happened?  Everything should have been alright after the System Lords had been killed and the Goa'uld had lost their hold on most worlds.  General Hammond had even felt safe enough to retire.  So why?

'Come on, Jack, you know I hate to see you like this.'

He'd never dreamed that the Tok'ra would become divided, never dreamed that he would become a prisoner.  And why?  Because he'd had a daughter?  Since when had that been a crime?

'Very well.'

Jack glared, daring the man to hit him again.  Chained to the solid rock wall Jack was at the man's mercy and he had on several occasions demonstrated that.  But Jack was trained for this; he could numb his mind to the pain.  However he could not turn off his conscience and the thing that hurt him more than the steel-tipped whip, was knowing that his silence was causing Sam pain too.

The man stood back and observed him with a mildly amused look.  Jack didn't think his condition was very comical; hanging by his wrists from the clasps because his legs refused to take his weight.

'You leave me no choice then.  I think I'll have a little word with Sam now.'

'Don't you dare touch her, you bastard!' Jack shouted, pulling wildly against his restraints in a futile attempt to reach him.

'Jack, Jack, Jack.' He shook his head in mock disappointment.  'There was a time when you called me Dad.'


	6. Stargate Schemetrics

Chapter 6

            'I guess I should start at the beginning.' Trinity said as she settled herself on the leafy floor.

            'That's a very good place to start.' Sam said coming to sit next to her.

            'Does anyone else feel a song coming on?'

            Trinity ignored Jack's comment, but he did receive a 'grow up Jack' look from Sam.

'Okay, so the first thing you need to know is that the Sha'ra have been after you since 2010.  This isn't the first time they've captured you, but they're starting to learn from their past mistakes; they know that the only way to hold you is to keep you in a state near exhaustion.'

'But what are the Sha'ra?'

'As I said before, they used to be Tok'ra-'

'I knew there was a reason I didn't like those guys.' Jack cut in.  Another look from Sam and one from Trinity this time as well.

'They formed when I was seven with the intention of destroying the 'Gate on Earth and me, and they've been close to success many times.  We were totally unprepared for their attacks because we believed we were safe after the System Lords had been killed-'

This time it was Teal'c who cut in.  'The System Lords are dead?' he asked with one eyebrow raised.

'Uh hu, though it took the best part of six years to track them all down.  Anyway, for a while we thought the Sha'ra were the Tok'ra because they used the same IDC.  We didn't know who to trust.  Obviously a new signal was devised but it didn't bring back those who had already been killed.'

'How many died?'

'Close to a hundred.' She paused 'Including Jonas.'

'Jonas?  How?'

'He was one of their first victims.  You were in the 'Gate room waiting to go off world, when the 'Gate was activated.  Control received a Tok'ra code and you know how they like to just turn up?  Well, we didn't think anything of it, so the iris was opened.  But the Tok'ra didn't come through, only a small box which exploded on impact with the floor.  Jonas was killed outright and it was touch-and-go for the rest of you for several days.'

'Why?' Sam asked, looking shocked.

'Like I said; they wanted to destroy the 'Gate and me, I guess they thought I'd be there as well.  I would have been but I had a cold, I was always there to see you off.'

'But why do they want to kill you?'

'Because I know things.  Ever since I was young, I've known things without really knowing why.  It probably stems from all the things you've had in and done to you over the years, mucked up my genes.' She told Jack with a faint trace of a smile.  'It's mostly little things like key-codes, hence my nickname; I can gain entrance into any room at Stargate Command.'

'So' Jack volunteered, 'you know something that they don't want you to know and they're going to kill you to stop you spreading it.'

'Kinda.'  Trinity pulled a face.  'I guess I know something important, but it's more about this prophecy that the Tok'ra have.  They've never been able to understand its full meaning, it has two side and they split over it.  It goes something like this:  "A child born of a hero, who has the power to twist time, will bring about a great change", they think that's me.'

'Why didn't they kill you when you were a baby?  Surely it would have been easier to get to a defenceless child than a trained adult?'

'Yeah, but they didn't know it was me then.  Remember I told you they formed when I was seven?  Well that was when I fulfilled the second part of the prophecy; I learned how to twist time.'

Her sentence generated the effect she had hoped, they looked shocked and even Teal'c, though his face remained incredulous, had raised an eyebrow.  She couldn't prevent a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, despite the seriousness of the situation.

'What do you mean, twist time?' Jack asked, speaking slowly and cautiously.

'Okay, maybe 'twist' is a bit much.  One day, when I was seven, I was watching the 'Gate and I began to wonder why it always span clockwise.  It was the most trivial thing but I couldn't forget it.  Eventually I managed to convince Colonel Carter to re-wire it so it could spin in both directions.  The result was an acrid green event horizon and, by sending several M.A.L.Ps through, we discovered that it transported them through time.

'The problem was the process was entirely random, they could wind up anywhere from twenty seconds in the past to fifty years in the future.  It nagged me for weeks and then one night I simply dreamed up the solution.'  Trinity paused and looked at Jack.  'It's quite complicated.'

'Oh don't worry about me.' He said mildly with a wave of his hand.

'Right, well,' she closed her eyes for a second, recalling the equation.  'First you have to take into account the fact that E=MC2, then you have to remember that velocity equals distance over time.  The same principle as working out the speed of a car travelling over a given distance foe a given time, must be applied-'

'Okay, I'm lost!'

Sam shook her head but Trinity smiled, those had been his exact words when she had first explained it to her father.

'Except,' she continued, 'we wanted to find the _time_ and the distance was entirely random and often unknown, so velocity had to be the key.  Whether a wormhole was opened to the future or to the past depended on the cut-out.  To get to the future the 'Gate had to build up speed and then wind down slowly, but to go back in time –'

'It had to stop suddenly.'  Sam finished.

Trinity nodded happily.  'The hardest part was working out how to make it open at a specific date.  Before each chevron was encoded the 'Gate had to revolve a certain number of times to create a date: century, decade, year, month, day, hour, minute.  It was a complicated process at first but over the years we developed a program to control it.'

'You were a smart kid then?' Jack asked, shaking his head and trying to stop the incessant buzzing of complicated formulae around his mind.

'Not really.  It came in drips and drabs, the rest of the time I was just fool hardy and headstrong.  But that's beside the point.  The Tok'ra heard about what I had done and, being them, automatically linked me to the prophecy.  However they didn't all agree on what change I was supposed to bring about, the writings were conveniently vague on that.  Some believed I would finally bring peace among the planets, others thought I would start a reign of terror.

'They couldn't agree.  Those who thought I would be the source of all evil said I should be killed while I was still young but the others wanted to protect me.  And so the Sha'ra were formed.'

'I believe you have already fulfilled the prophecy, Lieutenant.'  Teal'c said suddenly, making Trinity jump.

'How d'you mean, T?'  She asked after recovering.

'You have made creatures of one mind think differently.  The good have become bad.  Friends are now enemies.'

'Possibly.' Trinity turned it over in her head.  'But why would they write the prophecy if it was that that would split them? … Anyway that's not the worst of it.'

'There's more?' Jack groaned.

'Sir!'

Jack shrugged at his second-in-command.  'She kinda sounds like you when she's explaining things.'

Trinity frowned at him before continuing.  'We discovered who was behind it all, the boss, the head honcho.'

'Who is it?'

'It was a great blow to us all; we never thought he'd do something like that.  I mean, he was practically one of us.'

'Trinity,' Jack said sternly, 'Who is it?'

Trinity dropped her gaze so that it fell on an ant scurrying across the ground.  She kept her head low, afraid to show them the pain her eyes always conveyed whenever she thought of him.

'Look, are you going to tell us or do we have to guess?'  Jack was becoming restless.

'It's …' the ant was joined by another, they waggled their antennae as if greeting each other and then disappeared down a hole.  Trinity took a deep breath but didn't look up, avoiding the eye contact she knew she should use.

Sorry to leave you hanging, if you want to know who it is (that is if you haven't already guessed) then you know what to do; leave a review.

p.s. not quite sure what ants are doing on an alien world but …


	7. A Fate Set In Stone

Hey I'm back, the mocks are over (yay!), its back to school on Monday (d'oh!) and my fingers are itching to type.

It would seem that you've all already guessed who the mystery man is and yes I know it is ooc for him but he seemed to just slot into the role brilliantly.  I've tried to make it believable and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7

            'It's … Jacob Carter.'

            A heavy silence rang out through the thicket.  All eyes fell on Sam as they watched to see how she would take the news.  Shock drained the colour from her face but it soon came flooding back in anger.

            'What do you mean?' she demanded in a tight voice.

            'I didn't want to believe it at first, either.'  Trinity looked up, a single tear shining in the corner of her eye.  'I was seven, he was one of my closest friends.  I thought it was a cruel game someone was playing but then I saw you crying and I knew it was true.'

            Sam held her silence, but the battle between anger, disbelief and despair was evident in her eyes.  Trinity let the tear fall, praying that Sam would take it better than she had when Trinity had been seven.

            'No,' she said finally 'I don't believe you.  You can't just go around accusing people like that!  Where's your proof?'

            Trinity reached into one of her numerous pockets and withdrew a small envelope.  She held it out for Sam, who snatched it up and tore it open.  A small circular disk fell onto the ground and glinted in the midday sun.

            'That contains a record of everything we've discovered about the Sha'ra, from their formation to the present day.  Including the name of their leader.' Trinity told her.

            'He wouldn't' Sam insisted stubbornly.

            'The Jacob Carter you know wouldn't, but he changed.  I can't explain how or why, all I know is that he did.  He became a completely different person.'

            'Why are you telling me this?'

            'Because ignorance may be bliss but if I hadn't told you and you bumped into him down there, you would be totally unprepared and he would hurt you again.  We almost lost you before, I never want to have to live through that again.'

            Sam stared at the tiny disk.  Did it really contain her future?  Could it prove beyond a shadow of a doubt what her father would become?

            'Please, you've got to believe me.  I wouldn't make something like this up.'

            'Lieutenant O'Neill may be telling the truth,' Teal'c announced.  'What she has told us suggests that the world has changed a great deal.  Is it not possible that the people have changed also?'

            'What if the rest is lies?'

            'Carter, see reason.'

            'Don't stand up for her because she's your daughter!'

            Jack frowned at Sam.  'Look, what she says makes sense.  We've seen people change in the heat of the moment, hell we've done it.'

            'But not my father –'

            'Just because he's your father does that make him immune to corruption and incapable of deceit?'

            Sam opened her mouth to protest but knew he was right.  More surprising than that were the words he had used, she was rubbing off on him.

            'Now' Jack said, sensing victory 'as much as I enjoy sitting on my ass, I think we have somewhere else to be.'

            He smiled coyly and scrambled to his feet, Teal'c and Trinity followed suit but Sam remained seated.

            'I didn't want to hurt you,' Trinity said desperately, 'I only wanted to prepare you.'

            Sam sighed. 'I guess I just wasn't ready to hear it.'

            Trinity smiled knowingly. 'Don't worry, your future isn't all doom and gloom, there are some things that you can actually look forward to.'

            Sam managed a small smile and reluctantly stood up.

~

            'Dad, please!'  Colonel Carter tried in vain to get through to her father.  Over the years he seemed to have built a wall around his mind locking out all emotions, only leaving room for scheming and desire.

            His daughter too had been locked out, all compassion was gone but Sam refused to give up hope.  The pain and suffering he caused was vast but there had always been hope.  Hope that that would be the day when he would stop and just be her dad again.  Even now she thought if she could just find a small hole in the wall, a blind spot in his defences, then she might be able to snap him out of it.

            Her mind never let go of that shining ray of hope.  It had been with her, had eased the pain, through thirteen years of suffering and it was with her still.  And, though both reason and Jack told her to set it free, it was her prisoner.

            'Dad!'

            'Call me what you like, child; I have grown weary of your cries.  They were amusing at first but have become quite an annoyance.'

            No matter what he told himself or what mental blocks he put up, Jacob still felt for his daughter.  He acknowledged it as a weakness and it was that weakness that allowed her to remain unchained.  Neither could he bring himself to inflict any injuries by his own hand.  He had seen how, in the beginning, this had fuelled her hope and so he took it out on Jack.  After all this was Jack's fault really.  So many times he had stood at the edge of death, and had he died Sam would be free and needn't have come to any harm.  But he always lived.

            Jack he treated much differently to Sam.  Both suffered but Jack was looking the worse for wear.  Aside from the water that was necessary to prolong his suffering, he had consumed nothing and heavy shackles held his wrists and ankles.

            In comparison, Sam's situation was much more comfortable.  She was allowed a meagre meal every other day and the only thing that kept her in the room was a large door.

            A cry of pain was followed by a sharp intake of breath and Sam bit her lip to brace for the next impact.  She had long since stopped fighting her attackers and she lacked the strength to retaliate now.

            Jacob held out his hand.  The guard unballed his fist and left the room with a small bow.

            'Come Sam, stop fighting it.  Join me and –'

            'Never!' Sam cried.

            'Very well.' he turned his back on her. 'The child will die whether I have you by my side or not.'

            'But why?  Why does she have to die?'

            A leer crept onto his face. 'You know perfectly well why she must die.  The infant she carries will destroy us all.'

            'The baby's innocent.'

            'No, it's destiny is already written.'

            'People make their own destiny.'

            'Not this one.  But enough, we have had this conversation before.  She will be here soon; she is too much her father's daughter to stay away.  Then she shall meet her fate.'


	8. Separation

Couldn't you just hear the Eastender's style dum-dum-dum at the end of that chap?

Oh yeah, sorry to all Jonas fans but he doesn't really feature in this story as this was written in the period between series 5 ending and series 6 beginning so … well I guess you could call it Daniel withdrawal symptoms.

Anywho on with the show

Chapter 8

            'I told you they didn't have much between the ears.'  Trinity said as she led the group down a narrow corridor.  Despite her confidence, it had been easier than she had thought it would be to infiltrate the base.  'I wonder how they found out that Mirav was a spy.  I hope he's alright.'

            'Yeah, about Mirav,' Jack said from behind her.  She stopped and faced him, bringing the whole group to a temporary standstill.  'Do I, err, know about you and him?'

            Trinity laughed softly and, in reply to his question, held up her left hand.  On her third finger a small diamond and amethyst ring reflected the dull light that was illuminating the tunnel.

            'The whole of the SGC knows.  I certainly hope you know considering you and Mom were there when he proposed.'

            With a smile, Trinity resumed her role as guide.  There was silence for a minute, then:

            'How old is he?' Jack asked.

            Trinity rolled her eyes.  'Typical Dad.'

            'I was only asking.'

            'Okay, if you must know, he's twenty-four.  And before you ask, yes you do approve of him.  In fact –'

            'Hush' Teal'c cut in, 'Listen.'

            They stopped and immediately assumed a position in which they all had their backs to the wall.  Above the steady hum that seemed to be part of the place, the echoing of approaching footfalls could clearly be heard.

            'Guards.' Trinity said, automatically reaching for her gun.  'Two or three of them.  They're close.'

            A shout indicated that they'd been spotted and the footsteps sped up.  Cursing silently, Trinity jumped round the corner and shot a well-placed bullet.  It found it's target and the guard fell to the floor, the other ducked out of sight.  She knew he was calling for backup; he wasn't _that_ stupid, there was only one thing to do.

            'Scatter!' she cried, already moving towards the nearest left-hand turn.  'They can't follow all of us.  And remember:  three-seven-seven.'

~

            Jack felt the need to whistle as he strode down the endless corridors.  It had been over half an hour since he'd seen any guards or his team or, in fact, anything other than the infinite stretch of gloomy lanes.

            Eeny-meeny-miny-moing the next junction, he took the right and then the first left.  He wasn't really conscience of the direction in which he was travelling it was enough that he was moving and if he kept doing so he might eventually end up somewhere.  It might even be possible that his team would be waiting for him there.

            He frowned on impulse.  The splitting up worried him, especially as everyone was on their own and not even in pairs.  He knew Teal'c would be fine, woe betide the man who entered willingly into a fight with Teal'c.  Sam was well trained and had handled situations like this before, but he'd seen her injured too many times and every time it tore his heart, he just hoped that this wasn't one of those times.

            And then there was Trinity.  She'd proven her worth by all but stealing the command from him and they'd all followed her.  He smiled in the knowledge that his daughter would be a natural leader.  But he still feared for her, at that moment his greatest fear was that Trinity was walking into her own death and that, in the future, he would know that his daughter's days were numbered.  He'd already lost one child and he wasn't prepared to lose another, even if she was still a relatively new acquaintance. 

            Another left.  Another.  A right.  Wherever somewhere was, he wasn't getting there fast.  A tormented sigh escaped his lips as he passed a flickering light that he could have sworn he'd seen ten minutes back.

            The lack of defences was unnerving, yet strangely welcome.  In his short stay he'd learned that there were certain noises that the walls made that were perfectly normal, not his mind playing tricks on him and definitely not an approaching threat.  He knew it was wrong but he couldn't help relaxing into the environment.

            Another right took him down a darker corridor that ended abruptly.  He was about to turn and retrace his steps when something caught his eye.  Closer inspection confirmed his initial thoughts.  One and a half metres off the floor a small metallic block was secured to the wall, it had a fluid screen and the digits 0 – 9 were arranged in a circle around a centre.  A keypad.

            A moment's thought recalled the numbers Trinity had shouted and, with no regard for where he might end up, Jack punched in the three digits.

            Nothing happened.

            'Now what?'

            A flicker of common sense struck him and he tapped the centre of the keypad.  The hum of electromagnetic energy filled the corridor and a series of rings descended from an opening in the ceiling to surround him.

            In a flash of white light, Jack found himself standing outside a large metal door.  It gave a good impression of strength and would probably have withstood a grenade, but on a hook next to it a key softly shimmered.

            He raised an eyebrow amazed at the sheer stupidity of the people.  Shrugging, he grabbed the key and unlocked the door, which swung open with surprising ease.  The room was darker than the corridor but just enough light filtered through for Jack to be able to pick out the figure curled up on the floor.

            A blink was all that was needed to banish his doubts and confirm his fears.

            'Carter!'


	9. Close Encounters

Okay, you asked for clarification so here it is:

Firstly the rings took Jack to a lower level in the base, as you know the Tok'ra don't use stairs but he had to get there somehow.  Secondly, I thought they did use doors, admittedly not with keys, that doesn't really matter though because the Sha'ra didn't build the base in the first place, they took it over and installed some of their own technology.  

Hope that's helped

Chapter 9

            There was no comfort in the exhaustion-induced sleep.  But it could hardly be called sleep, it was more her body shutting down because it had worn out it's energy supplies.  An unconsciousness.

            Colonel Carter shifted uncomfortably as images danced before her eyes, taunting images of a lost life.  She saw herself free again, away from the pain and suffering that had become so familiar.  She was back where she belonged with the people she knew and loved.

            All too soon the pictures were swept aside and consciousness beckoned.  She tried to fight it but fighting only encouraged it.

            'No' she tried to cry but only managed a feeble murmur.

            'Carter'

            She knew that voice.  The same voice that had carried her through the painful years, that was close to her heart.

            'Jack?' her voice was as weak as she felt.

            She felt herself being pulled up into a sitting position and an arm slid around her back to hold her upright.  A gentle hand brushed the damp hair off her forehead and the warmth of breath hit her neck.

            'C'mon, Carter, speak to me.'

            The concern in his voice touched her as it always did.  She struggled through the thick haze that had locked onto her body, preventing any significant movement.

            'Sam?'  She could hear the fear quiver in his tone as a hand touched her neck, checking her pulse.

            Her eyelids were heavy and most of the strength she had left was reserved for simply breathing.  Try as she might, they just wouldn't obey her silent command to open.

            Something cool and wet hit her lips and her tongue instinctively went to lick it.  It was sweet and familiar.  Glucose enriched water.  She managed to swallow most of what was offered to her but some escaped her mouth again to trickle down her chin.

            The specially formulated substance quickly diffused into her bloodstream, feeding the starved muscles and clearing her mind.  She gasped as warmth spread throughout her body and her eyelids fluttered open.

            'Carter?  Say something.'

            'Jack' she breathed.

            She heard his relieved sigh and tried to focus in on his face.  Giving up, she decided it must be him anyway.

            Mustering a little of her returning strength, she wrapped her arms around him and drew him closer.  As her lips brushed against his she felt him hesitate and wound her hand in his hair, urging him closer still.  His muscles tensed than relaxed under her touch and his mouth opened.  She mimicked and drew him into as passionate a kiss as she could manage.

            Suddenly he broke the connection and pulled back.  She whimpered but was powerless to stop him.

            'Carter, what the?'

            She frowned, his behaviour confusing her.  Wasn't he as glad to see her as she was to see him?

            'Jack?'

            And where had his strength come from?  She had lost count of the days they had been locked up, why hadn't his strength leaked away as hers had?

            'Carter, I'm going to get you out of here.  Can you walk?'

            She shook her head.  'Can't'

            A radio crackled making both of them jump and Teal'c's baritone voice came over the airwaves.

            'O'Neill, I have located your future counterpart.'

            Jack reached for his walkie-talkie.  'Good.  I've got Carter, err, the future one.  Lets get out of this dump, we'll rendezvous at that woody place.'

            'Agreed.'

            'How am I doing?'  Sam was shocked when she heard her own voice being broadcast and even more so when Jack casually answered the question.

            'Not great.  The sooner we get out, the better.'

            'Right.'

            He turned back to her and shifted his hold to get a better grip.  Then she felt herself being lifted off the ground in his strong arms and gave a small gasp as his face became clearer.

            'Are you alright?'

            'You … you look … younger.'

            He smiled.  'I am.'

            'But how?' she began to feel she was losing her grip on reality.

            'I think you already know.'

            She frowned but then it struck her.  How else could there be another her somewhere else in the base?

            'Trinity?'

            He nodded and she felt a slight jerk as he began walking towards the door.  

            Closing her eyes, she felt the exhaustion trying to claim her back and, though his warmth against her was a comfort, it served only to encourage the uneasy sleep.  If it could be called sleep …


End file.
